Williams official printed School Directory will be distributed by Advisors on Monday, one copy per student. Mrs. Kelly will have a limited supply of additional directories available for parents at the front desk.

Join The Williams School community in celebrating the dedication of our new Student Center, the inauguration of our 10th Head of School, Mark Fader, and the highlight of the athletic season, Fall Sports Day.

Weissman Student Center Dedication & Champagne Reception
Friday, September 26 at 2:30 p.m.

Inauguration of Mark Fader as 10th Head of School
Saturday, September 27 at 11:30 a.m.
Williams Athletic Complex
(In case of rain, the Inauguration will be held at school in the Daren Performing Arts Center.)

Fall Sports Day Cancelled Due to Rain
Sports Day is cancelled, but the Athletic Office will be looking at other weekends this fall to keep the momentum of Blues Spirit from today's Pep Rally going strong. More information to come!

Williams' annual Spirit Week celebration occurs earlier in the semester this year (September 23-26), rallying Blues Spirit in the week leading up to Mr. Fader's Inauguration and Fall Sports Day. Each day, classes will compete in contests and overall participation in the costume theme du jour for bragging rights as Most Spirited Blues. All students are invited to take part!

Richard Glaubman, author of Life is So Good, visited southeastern Connecticut schools on Thursday, stopping by Williams to have lunch with students and faculty. Glaubman's novel tells the story of George Dawson, a black laborman in Texas who learned to read at age 98. The novel was selected as southeatern Connecticut's "One Book/One Region" program and was read by all Williams Upper School students. Glaubman spoke with Williams students about his co-author and book subject as well as the fascinating process of putting this work together.

Mrs. Kim Belair has begun her well-received Upper School Study Skills course again this semester. The course is not just for students struggling with their academics; students of all skill levels who want to learn ways to more effectively excel attend Study Skills. Middle school study skills classes will begin in October on Day 1.

Upper School Study Skill sessions are held in the Williams Room during the Lower Lunch period on Day 3 of each rotation (specific dates and topics listed below). Any interested Upper School student is asked to sign up on the Study Skills roster (posted in the catwalk outside the PAC) before each session. All that is needed for each session is pen and paper.

Multicultural Club student leaders include Co-Presidents Jacob Lefker and Edgard Hunt, Vice President Zakiya Thomas-Keyton, Secretary Megan Creevy, Treasurer Cydney Hill, Public Relations Officers Stephanie Morales and Danielle Gonzalez and Community Outreach Leaders Pablo Tutillo and Aaron Davis. They have planned an exciting year with the following events coming up in the month ahead:

Waffle Sale
Held on Wednesday, Sepember 17th during snack in the Student Center, the proceeds are going to support the Club's Harlem Trip.

Martin Luther King Jr Dinner
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Local town, church and school leaders attend this important community event. A group of students and teachers will represent The Williams School. This is a great networking opportunity for our students and a fantastic introduction into the broader community.

Harlem Trip
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A guided tour of Harlem, including Gospel Churches, Harlem Heights, Famous Jazz Clubs and The Apollo Theater. Participants will have lunch at Sylvia's Restaurant. Senior Edgard Hunt brought the idea for this trip to a meeting when he was in 9th grade and club members have been eager to make it a reality ever since.

Mrs. Galina Frisby's astronomy class (a new science elective this school year) took in a view of the stars at the Mystic Seaport Planetarium. Danielle Gonzalez ’11 recounted quickly finding the North Star and Big Dipper, making the experience much more immersive than simply studying stars in textbooks.

Go Blues, indeed! The Williams community deserves a huge round of applause for being true to the school and reaching the ambitious Fund for Williams goal even in a tough economy. The Williams School Report of Giving 2007-08 recognizes the more than 750 donors whose generosity helped maintain Williams' margin of excellence.

Now online, the Report of Giving highlights donors according to leadership giving category and by their connection to the school (parents, alumni, and faculty for example). All are proud to be part of such a committed, generous community.

Looking for insight into the dynamics of teen relationships? Be sure to catch the upcoming presentation by Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes (basis of the movie Mean Girls) and Queen Bee Moms and King Pin Dads.

Surviving the Hive: Improving Relationships in Your Child’s Life
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
The Garde Arts Center
325 State Street, New London, CT

The Williams School is again co-sponsoring the annual Community Coalition for Children's featured lecture at the Garde Arts Center and the companion Intergenerational Workshop at Connecticut College.

Know Your Culture: Cracking the Code of Meanness in the Hallways & Beyond
Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Crozier-Williams Center, Connecticut College

Both events are free to the public.

At assembly, Danielle Auerbach ’10 shared photos and stories from her summer trip to Prague in the Czech Republic and St. Petersburg, Russia. She began with fun photos of the beauty of the ancient towns seen through a modern tourist's eye.

The importance of the trip became clear, though, as she explained the connections with her grandfather's experiences in Prague during the Holocaust. The family trip included a celebration of her brother's bar mitzvah in the same synagogue where her grandfather was erroneously included in the roll of names of Holocaust victims inscribed on the interior walls. She relayed that her grandfather had actually managed to escape to Russia. Danielle also visited some historic sites documenting the Nazi persecution of Jews during the Holocaust.

With the help of fellow Parents Association Board members, Spirit Coordinator Alison Smith Marcinek orchestrated a mini-fashion show at the first Parents Association meeting. Vera Harsh, David Cook and Mary Lou Peck (above) displayed the array of hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts and other Blues Spirit paraphenalia which will be for sale at Sports Day. Many of these items are perfect for holiday gift giving.

Ms. Julie-Ann Maheu, Williams athletic trainer, also sells Blues Spirit items at school and may be reached via the school's main number 860-443-5333.

Alumni parent Joan Wiles continues to lead a season of Parent Walking Groups with the following walks scheduled in the Connecticut College Arboretum.

Dates will include:
• Thursday, September 25
• Thursday, October 2
• Wednesday, October 8
• Thursday, October 16
• Friday, October 24
• Thursday, October 30

Parents will meet at 8:00 a.m. in Williams' back parking lot. There is no need to sign up in advance. Just come with good walking shoes and water. The walks will last as long as the group would like, generally about an hour or so. Rain will cancel.

If you would like further information, please call Joan Wiles at 860-444-0698.

The Williams School
182 Mohegan Avenue
New London, CT 0632-4110
1891@williamsschool.org
(860) 443-5333
www.williamsschool.org